Volume 4 Chapter 6: The Place where the Slime wait 2

"Are there really slimes in this place?"

Meltia complained for the umpteenth time as she walked along with the unknown wreckage of what must have once been a paved road―― a mountain path leading to an abandoned mithril mine that had long since been closed to people and hidden by weeds.

Although they didn't say it in words, the mages from Fonteau agreed with her, and all of them wipe the sweat from their foreheads with the sleeves of their clothes.

They couldn't help but understand why she would say that.

Unlike the warrior priests who were used to mountain roads and the beastmen who usually ran through the forest, she was a princess who grew up in a royal castle.

Her physical strength had been trained to a level comparable to that of other people, but she hadn't been able to fully rest her body since leaving Grabalt, and now she had to climb a mountain.

To be honest, she hadn't expected climbing a mountain to be so difficult, although that would be naive of her.

The fact that the road was not paved and they couldn't use their horses was also a bad condition.

"We're almost there, so hang in there."

"Haah... it sounds like it's fun to fly."

"Not really. The trees are in the way and I can't fly without knowing where the slime tentacles will come from."

The sister princess, Meltia, who was dressed in traveling clothes that gave the impression of being pure and pretty in white and peach tones, swore but the succubus Fenelieka, who was dressed in a crimson dress, did not seem to be bothered by her words.

The fact that she didn't worry about her flying away, even though she said she didn't trust her, meant that she trusted her as a scout in her own way.

Fenelieka, who had more life experience than Meltia, found her attitude amusing and couldn't help but talk to Meltia, who was tired and breathing heavily.

In this way, Meltia consumed a lot of energy just to talk, and as a result, she swore more and more at Fenelieka.

She wouldn't call it a circle.

Fenelieka's one-sided play. It was the kind of exchange where Meltia's honesty completely backfired, as it stimulated the succubus's fancy.

"More importantly, Fenelieka. Can you see the entrance to the abandoned mine from the sky"

In contrast to Meltia and the mages, Kara, who called herself a scientist but wore a sword on her hip, asked Fenelieka without losing her breath.

According to the map, the mountain road was almost over.

From the sky, the entrance to the abandoned mine should have been visible by now.

"Yes, I can see it, but what about it?"

"No. Do you see any slime around the entrance?"

"No. I've heard rumors that slimes can mimic many things, so it's hard to tell just by looking."

"Hmm... that's also true."

It was just a confirmation.

The only way to detect the mimicry was for the slime to reveal itself to attack or to use the miracle of the goddess Fasalina's "Talisman of Light" to expose the monsters that were hiding.

However, the light was also harmful to Fenelieka, who was a succubus, and when used once at close range when they entered the mountain, her skin turned red as though it had been burned and she was in a panic.

They forgot because they were not fighting monsters and her appearance was similar to humans.

It was thanks to it that Fenelieka, who had a weakness for warrior priest's miracle, flew in the sky to work as a scout without asking.

"Well, it looks like it's going to be okay around here......?"

If they listened carefully, they could hear insects buzzing and flowers swaying in the distance.

They couldn't hear the birds chirping, but the presence of insects proved that the slime hadn't devoured them.

In Grabalt, everyone here knew that deep in the forest, away from the royal castle and the capital, the sound of insects had disappeared and the place was eerily quiet.

The slime had eaten them. Every last one of them, no matter how big or small.

Insects that were good and bad, and medicinal herbs were devoured, but it was a good indicator of the presence or absence of slime in the vicinity.

Based on their experience, they were able to determine that the mountain, with its buzzing insects, had not yet been attacked by slimes...... or had recovered from being overrun.

"Well then, let's make sure the area is safe first. Everyone, please be careful."

So Mariabelle and the others arrived at the entrance of the abandoned mine without encountering any problems.

The entrance to the abandoned mine, dug out of the rock and soil, was high and wide.

Even with five people in a row, there was still a little room to spare. It was also high enough that even Maribel, who was tall for a woman, could not reach the ceiling with her hands.

Mariabelle and Kara, who were both swordswomen, confirmed at a glance that the space was large enough to wield a sword.

The walls were reinforced with wood and there was no danger of them collapsing.

Although it looked tattered from being abandoned for so long, a collapse was the most dangerous accident in a mine. The wood used for that purpose was thick and numerous.

"Onee-sama, we're going to take a look around the area, so please rest a bit."

Mariabelle, who still had plenty of stamina perhaps due to her training with Fornelis, called out to Meltia.

Her forehead was sweaty, but her breathing was steady.

The holy sword at her waist. The light armor, including the breastplate, and the black traveling clothes, which emphasized ease of movement, really suit her well.

In contrast, Meltia was sweating, her breathing was uneven, and her neat peach and white outfit were sticking to her skin as it absorbed the sweat.

(Even though I'm the older sister......)

She knew she have to be strong, but she couldn't help but wonder if she was strong enough.

"......No. I'm coming with you, Maria."

Even so, Meltia's feelings were strong, but it was still easy to see that she was overdoing it.

Mariabelle smiled at Meltia's words and looked firmly into her eyes to reassure her.

"Fufu―― It is important to rest when you can so that you can move when it is important. It's also important to trust your companions."

"Indeed."

"These are the words of Fornelis-sama. For now, please trust us and rest. And the mages too."

In fact, when it came to fighting slime, elven mages were more important than beastmen armed with mithril weapons or warrior priests skilled in the miracles of the goddess.

Mariabelle told the mages to rest, and everyone else, who understood that, did not argue with that decision.

There were no slimes around, but Mariabelle and the others were on their guard as they set out to explore the area in groups of three.

At a place far from the entrance of the abandoned mine, Meltia and the others, who were exhausted, slowly began to prepare the encampment in order to be of at least some use.

The sun was still high in the sky, but they wanted to finish their preparations as soon as possible so they could rest longer.

"The princess sleeps in this tent, right?"

"......Why are you here? If you're not too tired, you can help Maria and the others."

"Well, it's terrible. I stayed because I was afraid that I would be told not to stay with the hero because they were cautious, but if I stayed, you get angry.... *crying."

The one who cried a lame lie was a monster with goat-like horns on its head, the wings of a bat on its back, and a tail with a rounded tip―― the succubus Fenelieka.

She was mingling with the mages from Fonteau, helping them prepare for the encampment.

Meltia couldn't help but swear at the sight of the energetic talking monster, but there was a reason why she was helping with the preparations.

When it came to searching the surrounding area, the warrior priests used the "Talisman of Light". If she was hit by the light, she would get burned because she was a monster.

She didn't like that, so she help prepare the camp, and Mariabelle and Kara understand that.

Besides, Meltia hated the fact that the monster was near her sister, but the warrior priests hated the fact that she was a monster.

Although she was accompanying them because Mariabelle allowed her to and Kara explained the necessity of doing so, they couldn't easily erase the feelings of distrust and hatred they had for monsters over the years.

In that sense, it was safer for Fenelieka to help with the preparations.

"And I'm a good cook. I've corrupted many man with the taste of my cooking."

Fenelieka proudly threw her chest out.

The breasts of the succubus were a size larger than Meltia's breasts, which were secretly said to be larger than those of women her age when she attended the Academy of Magic.

The large, well-formed breasts swayed with every movement, almost making a thumping sound.

The red dress emphasized the deep cleavage around her breasts and created a dark shadow on her abdomen.

The mage men's eyes were drawn to her breasts, and the succubus Fenelieka didn't miss the fact that they averted it without a second thought because of the princess.

She didn't miss it...... but she didn't point it out either. She just felt comfortable with the slight lustful glances, the atmosphere, and so on.

As a succubus, it was a source of pride and a "treat" to be looked at in a sexual manner.

It made her feel a little excited. It really was a little.

"...A monster dish, I don't know if I can eat it."

"You're a fool, princess. Even if a monster is a monster, a succubus eats a man's semen, not human flesh, okay?

Cooking is the best way to season a man's semen. To be trusted, you need to be charming. You can't just eat whatever you can eat like a low-ranking succubus―― being a succubus is also a lot of work to get a good meal, you know?"

Fenelieka then crossed her arms and lifted them up to further emphasize her large breasts.

The red dress with a wide opening at the chest area made the cleavage even deeper, and a charming, lively smile colored her face.

Indeed, it was a charm that overflowed with a sexual appeal that ten men would look back on.

If that was pointed at them, even for a meal, any man would be thrilled, stretch under their nose, and easily bonded...... Even Meltia, who was of the same sex, almost for a moment forgot that Fenelieka was a monster.

"Look forward to tonight, princess. I'll serve you a delicious food."

"I won't expect it. Instead, you should fly and keep an eye on your surroundings. We'll prepare the tent."

After a short rest, Meltia was ready to set up the tent, probably because she had regained her strength.

"You can rest now, princess."

"...Don't call me princess. I'm a mage now, fighting to reclaim my country."

"You don't want to be spoiled by being called a princess?"

"That's right. I'm not in a position to be called a princess right now."

Without looking at each other, Meltia said and began to help set up the tent with a faltering hand that was instantly recognizable that she was not used to it.

Even though she was disturbed, Fenelieka looked happy and amused and smiled a little that Meltia did not notice.

Fenelieka liked the princess, even though they had only met less than a day.

She was desperate, she was working hard, and above all, she was trying to be strong despite her position as a "princess".

The most interesting thing about her was that if one asked her something, she'll say something back.

Unlike the hero who was the natural enemy of the monster and the swordswoman with chestnut-colored hair who was logical and uninteresting, her personality "fits" well with Fenelieka's character, who was a succubus and a genuine moody person.

She was always tempted to make fun of her, and then she tried to find the degree to which she didn't really get angry and draw a line.

How far do I go before she got angry, and how far do I go not to get angry?

She had been tormented by the slime for a whole night yesterday, but that boldness and thinking forward could only come from a succubus who used sex as a meal.

"Is this the only tent you have?"

"Uwa... yes."

While they were chatting, a bewitching beauty―― Fenelieka, who looked somewhat noble in her dress, was setting up her tent much more skillful than Meltia.

Meltia was amazed by her lean movements and bit her lip in frustration as she tried to keep up.

"Kawai~."

The reaction was also adorable.

She was so frustrated that she didn't care at all that she was being stared at, although she probably didn't realize it. On the contrary, her reaction was so amusing that she took the work away from Meltia and proceeded to prepare the tent.

Even though she was helping her, Meltia hated her.

She hated her, but she didn't mind at all because her reaction was so interesting.

She was free-spirited and unpredictably selfish. That was the impression she got. That was Fenelieka's character, the succubus.

"Then, let's prepare the meal next."

"Ah, yes. I'll help..."

"I-I'll do that."

Feeling that her job was about to be taken away from her again, Meltia hurriedly raised her voice.

There were already five tents set up around them, and Meltia had only set up one of them.

It made her think she was useless―― a dark feeling akin to obsession arose and made Meltia panic.

"I'm a poor captive monster. I wish you could use me as a maid of honor...... Would you please give me an order, princess?"

"You don't know what your talking about."

"Ahaha. Ah― that's funny. You, princess is very interesting. I envy you."

It was clearly a disrespectful attitude, but Fonteau's mages didn't see anything wrong with Fenelieka's attitude.

Meltia was angry, but also lively, despite the succubus's cheerfulness.

As the sister of the hero and the princess of a destroyed country, she was completely different from yesterday, when she was desperately trying to keep her temper.

The fact that the two of them were not far apart in age and the fact that the other was a monster made it difficult for her to maintain her appearance as a princess, and she reacted appropriately for her age...... albeit slightly bullied...... a girlish manner.

There were words called joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. It was a word that indicated human emotions. Meltia had been stifling her emotions since the destruction of her country until yesterday.

Now, however, anger had been drawn out of her and was being exposed.

The word may sound bad, but anger was also a good emotion. It could not be absent.

Rather, the fact that it was not expressed allowed it to accumulate and then dissipate.

"Mou, please be quiet, Fenelieka-san. I'll do the rest."

"Alone? Isn't it hard?"

"I'll ask everyone to help me, but you don't have to do anything."

"I see, i see. You have to rely on others."

"I know what I'm doing."

Fenelieka's every word was annoying to Meltia.

But everything she said was correct.

Meltia was a princess, and that meant she was inexperienced and couldn't do much.

And yet, if she tried to be useful, if she tried to do her best alone, one day she would make a big mistake.

It was a tense thread.

Regain the country. Support the Hero―― a tense thread that was pulled by that mission.

It was a thin and fragile thread that could be broken by a slight impact...... a failure.

That desperation may seem like a virtue to her peers, but to a third party, it was just a fragility that could cause her to spin out of control and fail at any moment.

To a cheerful and free-spirited female succubus, that vulnerability was a target, and she couldn't help but mess with her.

Would she fail and snap, or would she continue to endure desperately?

Either way, if it was okay today, maybe tomorrow, and if it was okay tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow...... And so it goes, a thread that would definitely break at some point.

"...Kawai~."

That desperation was humorous, yet cute. It was interesting. It was fun.

(As a succubus, I wouldn't miss it for the world.)

It was rare to find a woman who was so burdened by the fact that she was the sister of the hero and the princess of a country.

The reason why her mind was so cornered was that she felt guilty for being in such a position but not being able to support the hero.

Superior magic―― her talent as a mage inherited from her mother.

She was not satisfied with that.

She couldn't hide her weakness, but because of her position as a princess, there was no one around her who could give her a hand.

With such a woman in front of her, Fenelieka swallowed the saliva that had built up in her "appetite".

The female monster was aware that her smile deepened as she looked at the princess, who was determined to prepare a meal, and her companions, who were trying to help her.

It was fascinating.

Weak, fragile, and the weakness of the hero―― sister.

It was her instinct as a monster to suddenly think of such things. The monsters created by the demon king would instinctively try to oppose the hero.

However, that demon king had been defeated, and now the world was being hunted down by the slimes, the weakest.

......When she remembered that, Fenelieka's "appetite" also dissipated.

"Haah. How――."

They were careless.

They checked the safety of the surrounding area and found no sign of the slimes around the abandoned mine.

That was why they were so careless.

As Fenelieka's vision caught sight of the slime that was now coming out of the ground without making a sound.

(Ah, what should I do......)

What she couldn't decide was whether she should abandon the hero's companions like a monster do, or whether she should return the favor of her being saved by them.

That was in an instant.

In that instant, the slime created a tentacle with a rounded tip from its oval mucus. The tentacles changed shape in the air like a snake and were about to stick out like a spear――.

"Dangerous."

Immediately, Fenelieka hit Meltia, who was being targeted, with her body.

"What are you doing――!?"

Meltia, who had been pushed and was about to complain as she fell on her buttocks, exclaimed.

It was because a tentacle pierced the spot where she had been standing a moment ago.

"Enemy――!?"

"Everyone, ready for battle!! Someone, raise the signal!"

At the sound of the male mage's voice, another mage shot fire magic into the sky.

It was like a distress signal in times of crisis. Three shots of it.

It should bring back the people who were out exploring the area.

"Why isn't anyone coming back!?"

In the meantime, two, three...... five slimes crawl out of the cave. All of them were oval-shaped. The only thing that made them normal was their shape.

However, everyone present knew that these were not "normal" slimes.

"Everyone, focus! There's still some distance between us, use your magic to fight back!"

Meltia gave instructions as she was pushed down by Fenelieka.

Immediately, the ten mages unleashed their fire magic at the slime. However, considering the fact that the slime was at the entrance of an abandoned mine, they were unable to attack with maximum firepower.

And the slimes... unlike the slimes on the village at the foot of the mountain, responded to the flaming bullets with wind magic.

In the air, more than a dozen flaming bullets and wind bullets collided, creating a violent shockwave around them.

"Kyaa!?"

Not only the mages but also Meltia and Fenelieka, who were still lying on the ground, were all knocked off their feet by the shockwave.

However, the slimes, which were heavy despite their small appearance, were unaffected by that and immediately prepared their next magic.

What was released was a gale bullet.

"Guaa!?"

One of the male mages was blown away and rolled on the ground.

"Kuh!?"

A gust of wind aimed at the other male mage, however, was offset by a gust of wind fired by another mage.

Even so, the shockwave generated by the clash of magic blew the male mage away and he plunged headfirst into the tent they had just prepared.

In the meantime, the five slimes finished preparing their magic, and like an avalanche, they unleashed their magic one after another, neutralizing the mages one by one.

Meltia and the others didn't know it, but for the slimes who had acquired the fairy's mana, the fairy's ability to use mana from the earth―― their mana was inexhaustible.

The way they responded and fought was different from the slimes in the village at the foot of the mountain.

It was a nightmare to challenge a magical battle against it and the mages were overwhelmed.

However, there were ways for humans to resist.

Despite the inexhaustible mana, they were still slimes―― they were originally not good at using magic... In the first place, it was a race that could not use magic.

All of their essences, even with some improvement, were limited.

In other words, although they have a wide variety of magic and an inexhaustible supply of mana...... they could not release many magic at a time.

"Appear, a scorching spear that pierces the sky!!"

With the chanting of magic, a magic circle was carved with red magic under the slime.

The six-pointed star was surrounded by ancient elven script, and as the owner of the voice cast the spell, the script entangled and restrained the slime's mucus body.

The liquid evaporated, as though the letters themselves were emitting heat, and restrained the slime, which had no fixed shape―― and as the chanting goes, a spear of flame appeared from the center of the magic circle and pierced the center of the oval-shaped slime.

The spear was so thick that it pierced half of the body, destroying the slime's "nucleus" without aiming and stopping the first one.

"Calm down, everyone! Be careful of the poison and fight back!!"

She was the daughter of Queen Leticia, the most powerful mage on the continent. The amount of mana Meltia could unleash surpassed that of the slime and destroyed the monster before it could resist.

"Flame spear!!"

This time, she summoned three flaming spears around her, each about the same thickness as the previous one.

One of them was destroyed by the four slimes with wind magic, and the other two pierced the two slimes.

One of the slimes collapsed and disappeared, but the other remained intact.

Still, the flaming spear burned the slime with the heat it released, vaporizing the mucus that protected the slime's nucleus in a matter of seconds.

"Are you okay, princess?"

"I'm fine. Please step aside......"

Fenelieka was still covering and protecting Meltia from the slime's attack and Meltia tried to push her shoulder away.

"......Thank you for earlier. That was helpful."

"Ara. You've thanked me properly."

"I'm still in the middle of a battle, so step aside."

This time, she did as she was told and stepped away from Meltia, who stood up, using her mother's old staff as a support.

The jewel adorning its tip shone with pale light and locked at the slime.

Although it was not as good as the holy sword of the hero used by Mariabelle, it was still a magic staff made by dwarves and decorated by elves, adjusted for the strongest mage Leticia.

The staff increased the mana of her daughter Meltia and increased the power of the magic she released several times over.

"This is the last!"

Without hesitation, Meltia unleashed a powerful fire attack that cut through the slime's mucus and burned through its core in one fell swoop.

She did not let her guard down and use all her strength until the end.

"Watch out for the surroundings! Someone, look for Mariabelle and the others who went out to explore......"

However, the instructions were cut off midway.

Slimes were crawling out of the depths of the abandoned mine again.

This time there were a lot more of them―― they couldn't see them because it was pitch black inside the abandoned mine, but they keep coming out like an endless stream, giving everyone who saw them goosebumps.

"Kuh... still so many..."

While Meltia and her group were fighting off the slimes that were coming out of the abandoned mine, something strange was happening in the forest.

"The explosion earlier was onee-sama's magic!?"

"Tch, we're almost there―― but there's just too much in the way."

Mariabelle and Kara stood back to back, eliminating each other's blind spots and confronted the slimes that were mimicking all over the forest.

They didn't know how many there were, but there aren't that many.

The problem was――.

"What is this slime!?"

It was a humanoid slime that stood in front of Mariabelle.

"Kuh!?"

With Kara protecting her back, Mariabelle, holding the holy sword, faced the humanoid.

The light of the holy sword purified the mucus of the slime that they attacked in the village at the foot of the mountain and made it disappear.

It was supposed to be the worst possible attack for the slime mucus.

"Why can't I cut it!?"

The slime changed its right arm into the shape of a sword and struck at Mariabelle.

In the past few months, Fornelis had trained her, and with the blessings of the holy sword and holy armor, she had increased her physical abilities, and her swordsmanship was no less than that of a first-class knight.

However, the sword skills of the humanoid, who have taken in many knights, were beyond human understanding.

It had knowledge of all the warriors in the continent...... including humans, elves, and beastmen, as well as the intangible body unique to slime.

Even though it retained its human form, its arms, legs, body, and even its head were changing in ways that Mariabelle never expected as it attacked.

Even though her body was well trained, she was still inexperienced, and the humanoid was an opponent she "could not defeat".

(No―― it's strong!)

Because she had trained her body, she could see that her opponent was overwhelmingly stronger than her.

But still, Mariabelle could not lose.

She was the "hero" and in a position where she must not lose.

"Don't be impatient, Mariabelle-sama! It's not impossible to win if we all fight together, even if it takes a long time!"

"But onee-sama is!!"

"Tch."

Kara clicked her tongue at Mariabelle for not listening to her.

It was strong, but it was not an opponent that Mariabelle couldn't beat.

No matter how good one's individual skills were, it was just an individual.

On the other hand, there was an advantage in fighting with multiple people. There were not many slimes that had mimicked the trees in the forest, perhaps to get past the warrior priest's "Talisman of Light" and lead Mariabelle and the others to a remote part of the forest.

If they challenged it with all of them, they would not be defeated by the humanoid...... that was what Kara thought. But Mariabelle was in a hurry.

Being unable to go to her sister's crisis made the hero with little fighting experience impatient.

"Damn it. I don't know if I can replenish it..."

The slime was inevitably in the way.

Kara reached under her lab coat. There was a slime-killer potion made from Valhari flowers.

However, the number was small.

It was a small amount of potion made from the few Valhari flowers she had purchased before her hometown, the holy kingdom of Lishlua, was besieged by slimes.

(Should I use it here?)

She asked herself as she slashed away the slime's tentacles with her mithril sword.

If she put it on her sword, she could probably strip the core and the mucus of the slime, but she only had a few bottles.

If I killed all the slimes in the place, the potion would run out―― was it okay to use it here?

The answer was "no".

"Someone, break through the formation and join the mages! Mariabelle-sama, focus on fighting the enemy in front of you!!"

"――――!!"

A violent metallic sound echoed through the forest.

It was the sound of Mariabelle's holy sword clashing with the humanoid's mucus sword.

Gradually, the sound became louder and louder, and more importantly, the humanoid's right arm began to deform.

From a thick and long sword to a refined and famous sword for battle.

Its shape somewhat resembled the holy sword held by Mariabelle, but its color was the exact opposite, black. It was a black sword, almost like a dirty gray.

"This slime, its getting, faster――!?"

Just as the sword in its right arm was refined, the humanoid's movements were gradually adapting to Mariabelle's movements and getting used to moving in a way that suited its "humanoid" form.

Its body's movement, the movement of its legs, and its positioning in the forest that was the current battlefield――.

"Ah!?"

The holy sword that Mariabelle swung hit the trunk of a large tree.

The holy sword cut it off after a slight resistance, but the sword slightly dulled.

The humanoid deliberately moved so that she would hit it.

That moment. The moment Mariabelle's movements slowed down―― the humanoid extended its left arm to catch Mariabelle, but Kara behind her grabbed Mariabelle's collar and pulled her down with all her might.

As soon as the humanoid's left arm sliced through the air, Mariabelle swung her sword from her position while being pulled down and sliced off its left arm.

"Kyaa!?"

"Uwaa!?"

After dodging an attack from an unreasonable position, they fell to the ground, entangled together, and used their momentum to roll away from the humanoid.

"No way!?"

Using the momentum from the tumble, Mariabelle got up, and by that time the humanoid's left arm had already regenerated.

"I guess we'll have to destroy the "nucleus", even if it's in a different form."

She thought that since it was a human shape, it would not regenerate its missing parts as humans do, but it was a slime.

Even if it was the holy sword that defeated the demon king, it could replenish its mucus.

Kara let out a sigh at that fact.

Immediately after, there was another explosion at the entrance of the abandoned mine. This time, it was much bigger than before.

"What's happening over there..."

It was quite an explosion. They could even feel the vibration in the distance.

It was clear that the other side was also being attacked, and even though it was only a short time they had gone and a small distance away, it was still possible to catch up......

(Right there―― a small distance away, but seemed far away.)

And that fact made the hero impatient in the face of a strong enemy.

The brilliance of her swordsmanship that she showed in the village at the foot of the mountain had slowed down, and she was exposing her inexperienced swordsmanship to an opponent who was more experienced than she was.

"Still, I am!!"

Before she knew it, the humanoid had blocked the shortest distance to the entrance of the abandoned mine.

It was also due to the combat knowledge of the knights and warriors in the humanoid.

People get impatient when there was someone they need to protect but couldn't reach it. The way it took advantage of her impatience was nothing short of brilliant.

The slimes around her also prevented her companions from going to Meltia and the others to prevent her from calming down.

The goal of these slimes was not to attack or annihilate.

The purpose of these slimes was...

(Dividing us.)

It was too late to notice now, and she hadn't imagined that the slime, true to its instincts, would formulate any kind of strategy.

At best, she thought it was a little wise and could mimic and set simple traps―― that was all it knew, except to violate women.

"We'll break through at once, everyone follow me!!"

With that declaration, Mariabelle charged towards the humanoid.

Her steps were simply too fast.

The acceleration of the hero, who used most of her mana to strengthen her body, gouged the ground that served as a foothold, and each step kicked up the earth as though it were a small explosion.

In the blink of an eye, Mariabelle had closed in on the humanoid and swung her holy sword down with all her might.

The slime held its right arm sword at an angle to divert the blow, which would have cut a normal monster in half from the top to bottom.

(That's!?)

The full force of the blow was diverted.

The impact slowed down Mariabelle's movements for a moment――.

"Turn your body as it is!!"

A voice from behind.

There were things they could see because they were not fighting directly.

In particular, Kara, who was a genius when it came to sword skills, was convinced that she could do it.

Mariabelle turned her body and struck a sideways blow from the left side.

It was an attack full of gaps that exposed her empty back to the enemy, but like other slimes, the humanoid didn't attack the mother, the woman, fatally.

She didn't know if it was because they couldn't, or if it was their instinct to prioritize the mother over their own lives, but that instinct was what Kara was after.

Mariabelle's attack severed the humanoid's left arm and went straight to the middle of its torso.

"Blow away!!"

Then, she released the power of the holy sword.

Light overflowed from the blade, and swelled as though it were exploding inside the dirty body of the humanoid―― but it was not.

The humanoid returned its right arm to the form of a hand, grabbed the blade of the holy sword that emitted light, and pulled it out with all its might.

The slime was overwhelmingly stronger in terms of strength.

"No way!?"

While making a large hole in the body of the humanoid, however, it was far from the end.

In an attempt to immediately close the wound...... the humanoid chose to withdraw from the scene rather than heal the wound.

It jumped up and used the branches of the trees like an animal to get away from the scene.

"Wha―― You're a slime, and you're running away!?"

Kara raised her voice in surprise.

She had never heard of slimes running away from people before.

They fight until they die, and that was the horror of the monster species. However, as soon as they realize their pretense, they leave the battlefield.

Its boldness and resourcefulness were still a thought that no monster had ever had before.

"We'll take care of this. Mariabelle-sama, you go over there!"

"S-sorry. Everyone be safe."

Apologetically, but without hesitation, Mariabelle started to run.

It was only a short distance away. Just a few tens of seconds of running―― soon she should be through the forest and arrive at the place they had designated as the encampment where the tents were set up......

"Is everyone alright!? Where's onee-sama!?"

......There were mages standing there, unsure of what to do.

Mariabelle looked around.

She looked for the peach and white clothes that her sister liked, but she couldn't find them.

At the same time, the female succubus who wore the most conspicuous red dress was also nowhere to be seen.

"I'm sorry, Princess. It's just that we're not good enough――."

"What happened!?"

"A beast-shaped slime suddenly appeared and kidnapped Meltia-sama and the female succubus who was trying to protect the princess......"